Over the next 30 years we will be supporting huge numbers of people through the transition of life that is the journey of old age and the pathway to death. The fact remains that death and taxes are a surety in life, but the pathway doesn't have to be negative and fruitless. The author asks all who read this book to be brave in the face of change, as we all have the power to make change or decide to stay the same. So, take every opportunity to engage in the most important part of your life's journey.
Much has been written about the profound impact the post-World War II baby boomers had on American religion. But the lifestyles and beliefs of the generation that has followed--and the influence these younger Americans in their twenties and thirties are having on the face of religion--are not so well understood. It is this next wave of post-boomers that Robert Wuthnow examines in this illuminating book. What are their churchgoing habits and spiritual interests and needs? How does their faith affect their families, their communities, and their politics? Interpreting new evidence from scores of in-depth interviews and surveys, Wuthnow reveals a generation of younger adults who, unlike the baby boomers that preceded them, are taking their time establishing themselves in careers, getting married, starting families of their own, and settling down--resulting in an estimated six million fewer regular churchgoers. He shows how the recent growth in evangelicalism is tapering off, and traces how biblical literalism, while still popular, is becoming less dogmatic and more preoccupied with practical guidance. At the same time, Wuthnow explains how conflicts between religious liberals and conservatives continue--including among new immigrant groups such as Hispanics and Asians--and how in the absence of institutional support many post-boomers have taken a more individualistic, improvised approach to spirituality. Wuthnow's fascinating analysis also explores the impacts of the Internet and so-called virtual churches, and the appeal of megachurches. After the Baby Boomers offers us a tantalizing look at the future of American religion for decades to come.
Fully updated and revised survival guide – including up-to-date changes due to life with Covid-19 – for Baby Boomer generation entering retirement! Baby Boomer Survival Guide, Second Edition: Live, Prosper, and Thrive in Your Retirement is the premier roadmap to retirement for anyone focused on financial security. This is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide that covers all the significant financial, healthcare, and lifestyle-related considerations today's Baby Boomer generation needs to know. This essential happiness handbook to financial & health security includes key topics: How to Live a Long, Happy, Healthy Life Expanding Your Interests, Hobbies, Social Network, Community Involvement & Quality Time with Family Where to Live & Where to Travel What to Do With Your Extra Years Strategies for Not Outliving Your Savings Financial Planning and Investing: Rules for Success Taking Advantage of the Trump Tax Cuts Homeownership vs. “Real Estate” & Renting vs. Buying WORKING in Retirement Social Security Optimization Strategies Having a Medicare Game Plan Key Questions and Answers to Long-Term Care Why You Should Think About Inheritance Wills, Trusts & Taking Care of Your Family A little planning and foresight can go a long way toward making sure your hopes and ideals for retirement don’t collide with harsh economic, financial, and health-related realities. Baby Boomer Survival Guide will give you the wherewithal to make your retirement the rich-est, most fulfilling chapter in the book of your life — for yourself and your loved ones.
Vanity Fair columnist Michael Kinsley escorts his fellow Boomers through the door marked "Exit." The notorious baby boomers—the largest age cohort in history—are approaching the end and starting to plan their final moves in the game of life. Now they are asking: What was that all about? Was it about acquiring things or changing the world? Was it about keeping all your marbles? Or is the only thing that counts after you’re gone the reputation you leave behind? In this series of essays, Michael Kinsley uses his own battle with Parkinson’s disease to unearth answers to questions we are all at some time forced to confront. “Sometimes,” he writes, “I feel like a scout from my generation, sent out ahead to experience in my fifties what even the healthiest Boomers are going to experience in their sixties, seventies, or eighties.” This surprisingly cheerful book is at once a fresh assessment of a generation and a frequently funny account of one man’s journey toward the finish line. “The least misfortune can do to make up for itself is to be interesting,” he writes. “Parkinson’s disease has fulfilled that obligation.”
As life expectancy continues to increase, millions of seniors are living well into their eighties and nineties. With the aging of the baby boomers, the population of senior citizens will swell dramatically in the coming decades. These statistics will inevitably draw more attention to the aging process. What should middle-aged people expect as they grow older? What should caregivers of the elderly know about normal aging? How can we all stay healthy despite the limitations of age? In this authoritative, user-friendly guide, three experts in geriatric medicine provide the latest evidence on: healthy aging, an understanding of the modern and often confusing health care system, and information about the medical issues affecting frail older adults. They begin with the basic facts of aging, distilling the current research on the underlying molecular mechanisms, organ system changes, and associated disease risks that occur as our bodies get older. They devote separate chapters to preventative medical testing, so-called anti-aging therapies, vitamin and herbal supplements, exercise, and medication problems. In the next section, they present an overview of the American healthcare system, from making the most of a doctor''s visit and an explanation of various healthcare professionals involved in elder care to guidelines for choosing a nursing home or assisted care facility. They also discuss the health risks of a stay in the hospital, including antibiotic-resistant infections, temporary delirium, and bedsores. In the following section, they tackle the challenges of caring for a frail senior, covering a range of issues from falls, osteoporosis, and infections, to sleep difficulties, depression, and dementia. A chapter is also devoted to the last days of life and how hospice can help. The authors also provide a section on the need to plan ahead. Among the questions considered are: When should an advance directive be written? How much money will be needed for the elder years? When should a senior give up driving? At a time when geriatric medicine is becoming a rare specialty and doctors receive little training in this area, the wealth of information compiled in this outstanding volume is invaluable. Senior citizens, their families, and even healthcare professionals will find it to be an unparalleled resource.
Does a longer life mean a healthier life? The number of adults over 65 in the United States is growing, but many may not be aware that they are at greater risk from foodborne diseases and their nutritional needs change as they age. The IOM's Food Forum held a workshop October 29-30, 2009, to discuss food safety and nutrition concerns for older adults.
An American Society of Journalists and Authors: Annual Writing Awards Prize Winning Book When faced with cancer, timely and educated healthcare decisions are crucial to recovery. Put the odds in your favor with the help of Cancer Survival Guide — the leading manual of its kind, offering the most comprehensive and cutting-edge information on the subject, such as: Comprehensive info on the 13 most common cancers including lung, breast, prostate, and colon The causes and hidden symptoms of cancer and how it affects the body New genetic tests that can reveal your risk Early detection and prevention techniques Latest medical breakthroughs and miracle drugs Conventional and alternative therapies that really work How to find the best treatments and doctors Creating a personal healthcare record Locate a lifesaving clinical trial near you Find cost-effective therapies and free resources Physical and emotional coping strategies How to navigate life after cancer Don't let a cancer diagnosis fill you with feelings of fear, panic, and helplessness. Take back your power with Cancer Survival Guide.
Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.
Americans enjoy longer lives and better health, yet we are becoming increasingly obsessed with trying to stay young. What drives the fear of turning 30, the boom in anti-aging products, the wars between generations? What men and women of all ages have in common is that we are being insidiously aged by the culture in which we live. In this illuminating book, Margaret Morganroth Gullette reveals that aging doesn't start in our chromosomes, but in midlife downsizing, the erosion of workplace seniority, threats to Social Security, or media portrayals of "aging Xers" and "greedy" Baby Boomers. To combat the forces aging us prematurely, Gullette invites us to change our attitudes, our life storytelling, and our society. Part intimate autobiography, part startling cultural expose, this book does for age what gender and race studies have done for their categories. Aged by Culture is an impassioned manifesto against the pernicious ideologies that steal hope from every stage of our lives.
